Sunday Shares | What I've Been Loving

Sunday, August 5, 2018

Hi, friends! Welcome back! I was on vacation for what felt like the entire second half of July. We took a week-long Alaskan cruise, then spent a weekend in Seattle before heading home. More on that later, as I'm in the middle of editing together a vlog of the highlights that I'm aiming to post on Wednesday. (Spoiler: Husky puppies make an appearance.)

Now that I'm back, I'm gradually getting myself back into the swing of things. The work days took some adjusting, and I'm not fully back at the gym quite yet, but eventually. Last night I had some friends over, and it was really nice to get a group together for my first weekend back at home. I love the feeling of community. This morning I woke up too late but have nothing on the agenda for the day so who cares. It feels great. I am currently sitting at my new dining table, drinking coffee out of a mug I bought in Alaska, typing away. And it feels good, to be typing away again.

Here's what I've been loving lately:

Jedidiah Jenkins on "Fun Therapy"

I've mentioned my love for Jedidiah Jenkins before. I've been following him since 2016, and he always manages to open my eyes to a new perspective. I loved the conversation he had with Mike Foster in this episode of "Fun Therapy." They talk about his sexuality, how everyone thinks they're doing the right thing, and combatting cruelty with kindness.

Maybelline Vivid Matte liquid lipstick

Maybelline has become my go-to for lipsticks. (And a lot of other make-up products, really.) While their SuperStay formula is great for something long-lasting, I like this one because it goes on super smooth and doesn't dry out my lips. I bought it in the shade "nude flush."

#FixSmallProblems

Jenna Fischer started this on her Instagram stories. Every week, she aims to fix one small problem. She started it because for weeks (maybe months), she was using a hairbrush with a broken handle. When she finally got around to buying a new one, she realized it was a small problem she could have fixed a long time ago.

I am now striving to do the same thing. Fix one small problem every week. These have included taking boxes down to the recycling center or returning an item to the store. Easy to put off, but also easy to fix.

Batiste dry shampoo

Dry shampoo didn't really matter to me for a long time because I regularly washed my hair every other day without fail. I kept a bottle from Tresemmé even though I didn't like it too much. It was too heavy, but since I didn't use it too often, I never bothered to explore other brands.

Now, I'm often leaving two days in between hair washes. (Sometimes even three if it's a weekend and I'm not doing much.) (If you think that's gross, that's fine, but keep in mind that hair types are different and don't always need to follow the same washing schedules!) Because of that, I like to have a good dry shampoo on hand. Batiste was recommended to me by a friend and will stay as my go-to because it's great. It's lightweight, so it can easily be rubbed in to freshen up my hair or even just add a little volume on top.

Getting my shit together

I've come back from my vacation feeling driven and motivated. I'm determined to establish an effective balance between productivity and self-care. I came across two posts by Hannah Brencher that I've bookmarked and am using as a jumping-off point. One was about mapping out your week, the other about building a routine that matters. With those, #FixSmallProblems, and the various "self-help" books on my to-read list, I'm feeling pretty good about the direction I'm headed.